Thomas Trivett had hardly noticed his brother’s and father’s departure. His days were remarkably filled. Up at daybreak he tended Easy Walker with water, hay, oats, and brushing. Then he practiced his morning ablutions. Off he went to mess for his breakfast gruel and bread, but occasionally he visited Cook for fried pork and eggs. He then reported for arm’s training. He was becoming expert at hand-to-hand combat mostly because of his size. At five foot ten he was a giant among men of the day. Only an agile opponent like William offered a challenge. The men still battled with staves and Thomas took the odd knot on his skull from a faster more mobile opponent. A variety of knights in the absence of Sir Rupert and Sir Richard continued his sword play training. Even Count Roger de Montgomery was called in as teacher. Other days he was with Olan, the archery sergeant, at the butts or clouts. He and Olan became quite proficient with the short bow from horseback. From the saddle the young men were nearly equal since Olan hadn’t the equestrian training and Thomas hadn’t the archery skill. Olan could outscore Thomas from the ground with any shot, but on horseback they were equal.

Duke William often came to evaluate the progress of his charges. When he saw the contest between Olan and Thomas on horseback, he had to try it. He took Olan’s short bow and rode down the butts loosing shaft after shaft. He questioned the boys on method and closely followed their actions.

“Get me a bow with some pull!” the duke demanded. It is said that William the Bastard could pull a 100 pound bow from horseback. Olan and Thomas were impressed not only with the pull, but with the rapidity of his learning.

“The beauty of the short bow is the rapidity of the shots. A crossbow man would loose one quarrel but a bowman could empty his quiver.”

As soon as Thomas was released for the day, he saddled Easy for his ride to Sir Richard’s estate. Richard, as duke’s armorer, did not maintain a flourishing manor farm. His habitants or serfs busied themselves on their own allotment, but Sir Richard’s lay fallow. Thomas was about to change all that. Accompanied by Dame Joan and Jo-Anne to establish his credentials, he visited the serfs of the small estate. They were put on notice that the estate was going to become an active farm. Thomas promised the men that he would be active himself, but he expected their assistance. They would work side by side. After years of neglect by Sir Richard, the men felt put upon. Thomas’ youth was against him, but his size and demeanor made them think twice about revolt. Every afternoon a delegation reported according to a schedule of work and workers. Barnyard manure was spread , land was plowed, all the soil was cultivated and late, but early enough, grains were planted. The common pasture land needed work. The restraining hedges and stone-pile fences were repaired. There was no sense growing crops to be destroyed by marauding domestic animals. The barn and buildings required some attention. Stalls were in disrepair. Roofing material was needed and all needed whitewash.

Thomas Senior raised no slackers. Thomas Junior turned furrow for furrow with Richard’s serfs. When they were ready for supper, Thomas dismissed them, but he often worked an hour more. He understood Sir Richard would return in a month , at the most six weeks from Duke William’s new estate of Mamers, Maine. Thomas pushed hard to put the estate to rights. When the habitants saw his enterprise, they responded with like industry.

Every evening he ate with Dame Joan and her children. He became the father figure for the little ones in the absence of their knightly father. Thomas was not as soft as Sir Richard, but as a youth he was willing to rough-house and play their games.

More importantly or most importantly, he was in close proximity to Jo-Anne. Every afternoon she came to the field or the barn with some cool well water and a treat she had baked. They would take a break from work and sit in the shade on the hot days and search each other out. Thomas could enumerate every distinguishing mark on Jo-Anne’s face: the tiny mole on her left cheek, the tiny dimple on her chin, the slight upturn of her button nose, the flecks of green in her grayish eyes, her wee ears so tight against her head and her wisps of golden hair blown playfully in the wind. Her smile had the warmth to melt him like butter on a warm piece of freshly baked bread. She always smelled like a baker’s kitchen-a slender French stick cooling on the table. Her voice was melodious- a trilling of finch talk. It enlivened his spirit. Often in their happiness they clasped hands. It set him afire from the lightest stroke to the squeeze of assurance. In a moment of unbridled exuberance Jo-Anne kissed him. She tasted like sweets. She ignited the five senses and for Thomas, the sixth sense of love. It filled his very being.

It was not one-sided. Jo-Anne had made up her mind at their first meeting. She saw no other male. She traced an outline of the ideal that Thomas filled to perfection. She knew every muscle of his trained and farm hardened body. He represented the perfect mate—a presentation of the survival of the fittest. Thomas was imprinted on her mind. She could replay his walk, his smile, his frown, his surprise, his tenderness or his intensity. She had absorbed every aspect of Thomas in her own rapture. She would marry him; she would preserve mankind; she would take Thomas into her and conceive.

Sometimes they would work together. After order had been restored on the land and the house garden planted, the two turned to the neglected buildings. The interior of the barn was swept and repaired. Then they whitewashed stalls ,walls and ceiling. In spite of splotches of whitewash on the face , hands and hair, the white lightened their attitude as it lightened the barn. They even tried to whiten the wattle and daub exterior. The barn was not without some passionate embraces. Seduction by either would have taken ten seconds. Thomas felt his manhood rise; his loins ached. Jo-Anne pressed her body closer to Thomas than whitewash on the wall. She felt her temperature rise. She was ready burning and wet for entry. Only Sir Richard’s admonition stood between them and prevented their sexual action.

Jo-Anne confided in her mother. ‘Mother, I’m going to marry Thomas. I’m going to bear his children. I’m going to make love with him and conceive. I’m in love!”

Dame Joan waited. She watched the light, the need, in her daughter’s eyes. Jo-Anne just held her mother’s hands in her pleading.

“My Dear, you know your father expects to marry you to a noble and raise us all above our present station.”

“Mother, I am no toy, plaything or brood mare for a fossilized old fart!’

“Jo-Anne!”

“I’m sorry Mother. Thomas is the perfect mate. We will make beautiful babies together. I will seduce him if I have to.”

“Daughter, Please! You don’t have to talk like that. I know your feelings. In fact, I felt that way about your father. I nearly threw him in my bed.”

“Mother!”

“You see what I mean about what you say?”

“I see, but suppose I’m very much in love?”

“Yes, I know. There is the problem. Your father always believed he would marry you to the lords, But! We can twist him around our finger. Thomas, in one month has made order out of chaos. He is such a hard worker He has substituted as father admirably for the children. He has not taken advantage of you. Someone has put an old head on young shoulders to create the perfect gentleman. We must plan our course of action. We will have a battle to fight. We will loose arrow after arrow—Thomas’ good looks, his fair attitude, his good manners, his good work, his dedication ,his smile and his love. Then we will send in the cavalry to wreck havoc on your father’s feelings. “Father you do love us. You do want the best for us.”

Finally if the others fail we’ll send in the infantry. We’ll show him the acid of our tongue. The enemy, my husband, your father and our lover will cave in like an exposed flank.”

“Mother, you sound like a general.”

“Who do you think ran Sir Richard’s army? Now my Dear, how does Thomas feel about this?”

“Does that matter? He’s a man! How high should he jump.”

“You vixen!”

“Mother, I could have him propose tomorrow.”

“All right! We will attack both lovers and enemies.”

Jo-Anne broached the subject at Thomas’ work break the next afternoon.

“Thomas, are you going to marry me?”

“Pardonnez-moi?”

“Are—you—going—to—marry—me?”

“There is nothing I would like more, but you know that Sir Richard has other plans. He gave me implicit instructions ‘ to keep my hands off you’.”

“And did you?”

“Well, no. But I have been very careful.”

“Who do you think runs this estate, Thomas?”

“Your mother right now.”

“Who runs it all the time?”

“Well, your mother?”

“So Thomas, if you asked my mother for my hand, my body, my heart , my soul would she give me to you?”

“Oh, I think so.”

“Well?”

“Jo-Anne will you marry me?”

“Yes, Thomas, I will.”

The first step was completed. The request to Joan was preordained. Joan kissed both youngsters on both cheeks. Thomas blushed crimson. Now three would set their battle plan for Sir Richard and one week later they put it into effect.

Richard returned quite full of himself. His five weeks in Mamers had been most successful. Squire Jean and Matilda were ensconced in a new house built in close proximity to the well. Jean and Matilda, farm born and trained, soon set to plowing, cultivating and seeding. The estate was going to be a money maker. The one room house would be expanded in another year. But as of Richard’s return, he could report success to Duke William. After a romp with the children, a passionate embrace with Joan, a home-cooked meal, and a bottle of Trivett wine, Richard lounged in his favorite chair, mellow, happy and content. Jo-Anne decided this was the best time to entertain the subject.

“Father?”

“Yes, My Dear?”

“Thomas Trivett has asked me to marry him.”

“What?”

“Thomas has asked for my hand in marriage.”

Richard sprang from the chair and threw his arms in the air. “I’ll kill him, Cet petit batard! I’ll rip his heart out! I trusted him!”

“Father! Control yourself.”

“Control myself! From my own daughter!”

Jo-Anne stamped her foot. “Sir Richard, you listen to me. Thomas is my choice of mate. He is tender, mannerly, caring, strong, intelligent, faithful, hard-working, and loving. He will make a perfect mate and a dedicated father for my children.”

“Children! I’ll castrate him!” and he set off on another stormy stamp about the room.

Joan decided it was time to intervene. “Richard, you are blind about your daughter. From the first time you brought the boy here you could see the light of love in their eyes. You threw them together by making him your overseer while you were about Duke William’s business. Thomas had in five weeks put some order in our estate. He has diligently worked and you have noticed the changes. He had the time that you didn’t have as armorer. Richard, these children are very much in love. Remember our own courting. What if my father had reacted like you? (and he did). Think what we would have missed. Just be calm, My Dear, and listen.”

“But Joan!”

“Listen, My Dear.”

Jo-Anne took over. “Father, neither Thomas nor I have betrayed you. Our love just grew with our association every day. We found we had like interests. Our intelligence was equal. But like you, Thomas can be wrapped about a lady’s finger. In spite of an underlying passion we have no more than kissed or hugged. Thomas honors me. I would have seduced him, but Mother said you were so understanding you would listen.”

“Seduced him!”

“Did Mother not seduce you?”

“Jo-Anne!”

“Thomas is a leader, planner and hard worker. He will be knighted and will provide for me and our children admirably. He will be a perfect spouse.”

“I agree my Husband.”

“So, you two hussies are ganging up on me. Understand, I like Thomas. He has been a trustworthy helper in war and in peace. For such a young man I would put my life in his hands.”

“Exactly Father!”

“But Mesdames, I have plans for you in the upper class. By marriage the family will rise above the level of armorer running errands for some grand duke. I can arrange the perfect lordly marriage.”

“Father, do not worry. Thomas will rise above and yet maintain his roots with the soil. He will be a knight and landowner. I’ll see to it.”

“Richard?”

“All right, I’ll talk to the boy.”

There were smiles of success and a dour countenance in defeat. The battle had been won and it appeared Richard would likely lose the war.